In the Academy, But Not at the Table

Marginalized faculty in U.S. higher education face dual pressures: external attacks on DEI initiatives that frame equity work as ideologically suspect, and internal structural inequities including racism, sexism, and ableism embedded in academic institutions. This book features autoethnographic and critically reflective chapters by African American, Asian/American, Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA2SNQ+ scholars. Their narratives illuminate the disjuncture between formal inclusion and substantive participation in the academy.Collectively, this volume documents how marginalized faculty are often welcomed symbolically while remaining excluded from power, recognition, and decision-making. Contributors theorize and exemplify resistance, resilience, mentorship, sponsorship, and institutional critique. Extending Fred A. Bonner II's concept of being "on the track, but out of the loop," this collection provides critical insights for thriving in hostile climates and serves as a blueprint for scholars, academic leaders, and policymakers committed to building genuinely inclusive institutions.

Nicholas D. Hartlep serves as Researcher-In-Residence at Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchED) and holds the Robert Charles Billings Endowed Chair in Education and is the Chair of the Education Studies Department at Berea College, USA.Fred A. Bonner II is a Texas A&M University System Regents Professor and holds the Wilhelmina Delco Endowed Chair in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education at Prairie View A&M University, USA.Janeula M. Burt is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Professional Studies at Bowie State University, USA.Keesha Greer-Effs is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Education Studies Department at Berea College, USA.